Fire-escape.



D. S. BURKHART.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION HLED 050.12. 1914.

1,164,988 Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

. I; I Dan/e! Burk/7017'? i Mr? COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASHINGTON,D. C.

' D. s. BURKHART.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED 050.12, 1914.

1,164,988. Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

s re'rns ra'rnnr orrron DANIEL s. nunnrranr, or SPOKANE, wnsnrneron.

rinn-nscnrn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

Application filed December 12, 1914. Serial No. 876,995.

I with the endless type whereon treads are mounted to support the user.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide means whereby theendless carrier will always-be maintained sufficiently taut to beeffectively operated, this feature of my invention being of particularimportance where the endless carrier is in the form of chains trainedabout sprocket wheels.

It is a further'object of this invention to provide a fire escape of theendless type which is adapted to be actuated by the weight of the userand to which a governing device is applied to retard descent-of the userand prevent the escape from racing.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means whereby thefire'escape can be used either for descent or ascent thereby enablingthe device of my invention to be used as an elevator for rescuers orfiremen after the occupants have escaped.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel form ofchain and sprocket which is particularly adapted for use in an endlesstype of fire escape and which functions to not only afford a smoothlyrunning device but one in which is combined the necessary strength andreduction of'bulk and weight.

,Other features and objects of the invention will be more fullydescribed in connection with the accompanying drawings and will be moreparticularly pointed out in and by the appended claims.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing oneembodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 8is an enlarged view in elevation of oneof the lower mountings. Fig. 4 isa view in elevation, of Fig. 3,'looking in the direction of arrow 4.Fig. 5 is a per spective view of one of the treads used in connectionwith my improved fire escape.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the novel form of chain,used in connection with my invention. Fig. 7 is a side view of a novelform of sprocket wheel. Fig. 8 is an edge view of the sprocket wheelsshown in Fig. 7

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout thedifierent fig ures of the drawings.

As illustrated, my improved fire escape is shown mounted upon the sidewall 1 of a building, and includes upper and lower shafts 2 and 3. Iwill term the upper shaft 2, the governed shaft and the lower shaft 3,

' the operating shaft.

The upper shaft 2 has one end thereof journaled in-any suitable form ofbearing 4 which may be fixed to the side of the build ing 1. Theremaining end of shaft 2 is journaled in a governor bearing structure 5,which is fixed to the building and in which is incorporated a governor,indicated as a whole at 6, and which may be of any ap proved type, oneform being-illustrated in my application filed December 12, 191i, SerialNo. 876,996. For the purposes of the present disclosure, I haveindicated a governor shaft 7, which is controlled by the governor, asbeing provided with a gear 8, meshing with a gear 9', the latter beingmounted upon the governed shaft 2.

The foregoing arrangement is designed to control the rate of rotation ofthe governed 1 shaft 2 so as to prevent the fire escape from racing. Thegovernor 6 is preferably of the centrifugal type.

Upon governed shaft 2 I mount sprocket wheels 10 and 11, over whichsprocket chains 12 and 13 which depend therefrom and are also trainedabout sprocket wheels 14: and 15, respectively, mounted upon operatingshaft 3. At suitably spaced points between the chains 12 and 13 I mountgrip rods 16 and tread rods 17 The rods 16 and 17 may be secured in thelink pivots of the chains in any desired manner and in the spaced relation indicated. Upon the tread rods 17 I mount tread bars'18, thelatter supporting a step or tread 19. The tread bars 18 may be slottedas at 20, to open downwardly, and inside of the bars I securelockingstrips 21, as indicated at 22, said locking strips having upwardlyopening slots 23, in which the rods 17 seat, thereby locking the bars 18to said rods. By reason of the fact that the rods 17 are free to turn intheir journaled connections in the chain links, the treads are free tobe swung, or to adjust themselves, from theinoperative position shown onS lap. to

the operative position on the T lap. The free ends of the bars 18are'apertured as indicated at 24 to receive or'be connected with thereofis sufficient to permit the pivoted ends of each tread to advancewithrespect to the chain connected end or portion so that the tread mayround the sprocket wheels and be disposed in the hanging inoperativeposition illustrated at 26, on the S lap. When the fire escape isadvanced so that this tread will round wheels 10 and 11, its supportingchain which is in the rear of the tread, with respect to the directionof travel,

will first act to hold the tread inan'inoperative position, until thetread is advanced somewhat below the upper wheels where-' upon the treadwill be free to be swung downwardly into a supporting position, as 1indicated at 27. However, the parts may be fitted in such a manner thatthe treads will not automatically fall by gravity into a supportingposition. When the user desires to mount a tread, he will simplyadvancethe same into a swung out position so that he can stepfupon thetread and, steady himself by grasping one of the grip bars. The weightof the user on the tread on the '1 side or lap will cause the chains totravel in the direction of the arrow thereby permits ting the user todescend under retarding action of the governor 6.

I It is an important feature of my invention to provide means forholding the chains taut and I will now describe such means in detail.

in bearings 28 'and 29, which bearings are formed integral with bearingarms "30 and 31. Said arms 30 and 31 are pivoted, as at 32, to bearingplates 33 and 34, fixed to the side of the building 1, and as both armsare alike in construction and operation as. regards the means forholding the chains taut,

only one detail. 1 p 4 Arm 31 is provided with a pivot lug35to which ispivoted at 36, a rod 37, provided of said devices will be described inwith a spring abutment 38. The rod 7 telescopes a sleeve 39 which ispivotally mounted at 40 to a lug 41 on anchorage bar 34. A sleeve 39 isprovided with an abutment 42 between which and the abutment 38 isinterposed a spring 43. A spring 44 is interposed between abutment 42and abutment 45 on the end of rod 37. The spring 44 functions to supportarm 31 so as to prevent spring 43,

which is stronger than spring 44, from forcing arm 31 downwardly too farthus causing undue friction between the chain and sprocket.

I However, spring 43 holds 7 the chaln to a sufficiently taut workingcondition and two'springs' function to accommodate for contraction andexpansion of the chains. It will be understood that theforegoingdiiferential spring device described in 'connectionwith arm 31will be duplicated for arm 30, as shown in Fig.2.

.In cases-where itis desired to use the fire escape as amea-nsfor'elevating firemen or w workmen, as the case may be, I provide019- a crating means for actuating the fire escape in a directionreverse from that indicated by the arrow in Fig. l.

On operating shaft 3, mount a gear Wheel 46 which meshesgwith agearpinion 47, on crank shaft 48; Crank shaft 48 is to arrest location ofcrank shaft' 48 in a P clockwise direction. Thus whenthc oper-' atingcrank 50 is applied to shaft 48 to eleva tethe treads on the/T lap, thecrank i would be rotated ina contra-clockwise direction. In mostinstances, the pawl and crank would not be disposed on the firedesignated persons for use in-emergency or at other times, so as't'oprevent the pawl 52 from locking the fire escape against use-fordescent, in case of a fire.

My novel form of chain comprises tooth links 54, for engagement with theteeth 55,

of sprocket wheels 15, it being-understood that all of the sprocketwheels are of the same construction. The links 54 are connected by wheelengaging links 56, and the latter are drop steel forgings, preferably,so The lower or operating shaft 3 1s mounted tially grooved, asindicated at; 57, there being recesses 58 disposed on opposite sides ofthe teeth; 55 and at the terminalsfof the'grooves, to receive the endsof links 54. Thus withescape but would be retained by specially I outarching the relatively long wheel links 56, I provide means whereby theywill nego tiate the sprocket wheels and effectively mesh the groovesthereof without displacing the links 5401i" from'the teeth 55.

It is believed that the novelty and utility j of my invention will befully understood 1. from the foregoing description, and while i I haveherein shown and describedone spee 'cific form of my invention,-I do notwish to be limited thereto except for such limita tions as the claimsmay import.

I claiIni- I I i 1. In a fire escape, upper and lower sprocket shaftstructures, an endless chain carrier trained about said sprocketstructures, fixed bearings for the 'upper shaftstructureymovablebearings for the lower shaft structure, and oppositelyacting spring mechanism engaging said movable bearings for supportingthelatter agalnst excessive chain tension and urging saidsive tension ofsaid chain carrier, and a governor for limiting the speed of operationof said chain carrier and connected with said upper shaft structure toprevent transmission of load strain'on the descending lap of Isaid'chain carrier from exerting tension on the ascending lap,substantially as described.

3. In a fire escape, upper and lower sprocket shaft structures, anendless sprocket carrier trained about said structures, and springtension mechanism for one'of said shaft structures comprising arelatively heavy spring acting to maintain working tension of saidsprocket carrier and a relatively light spring acting to counteractexcessive tension, substantially as described.

4:. In an endless fire escape for buildings,

upper bearings fixed to the side of the building, an upper shaftjournaled in said bearings and provided with sprocket wheels, a lowershaft, sprocket wheels upon the lower shaft, chains trained about thesprocket wheels of said upper and lower shafts, bearing arms pivoted attheir inner ends to said wall and provided with bearings journaling thelower shaft, a rod pivoted to one of said arms and having a spring-0opies of this patent may be obtained for abutment, a sleeve pivoted tosaid wall and telescoping said rod and provided with a spring abutmentslidably engaging said rod between the ends of the latter, a relativelystrong expansively acting spring'on said rod interposed between said rodand sleeve abntments and acting to swing, said bearing arms downwardlyto maintain said chains taut, said rod having a spring abutment on itsfree end, and a relatively weak expansively acting spring interposedbetween said sleeve abutment and the last named rod abutment and actingto support said bearing arms against downward movement sufficient tobind said chains on said sprocket wheels, substantially as described.

- 5. In an endless fire escape for buildings, an upper shaft journaledin bearings fixed to the side of the building, and provided withsprocket wheels, a lower shaft provided with sprocket wheels, bearingspivoted to the side of the building and projecting sub stantiallyhorizontally outwardly therefrom and having bearings for journaling saidlower shaft, and longitudinally extensible mechanism pivoted to one ofsaid arms and to the side of the building and including opposingsprings, one acting to tension said chains and the other acting tocounteract excessive chain tension, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

DANIEL s. BURKHART.

Witnesses H. E. SMITH, I EDNA BROYLES.

five cents-each, by addressing the Commissioner of ?atents, Washington,D. C.

